Abstract: A refrigerator liner of a vacuum formed plastic with a thickness of about 0.007" to 0.050" has each corner formed without crinkling when thermal insulation material is foamed against the outer surface of the liner. The non-crinkling of each corner of the refrigerator liner is accomplished through forming each of the corners with a flat surface having its periphery as a circle during vacuum forming of the refrigerator liner rather than with a spherical radius. This enables the flat surface to be placed in tension when moved against a corresponding flat surface of a foam plug by the pressure produced during foaming of the foamed thermal insulation material. This results in each corner having a central portion with a convex cross section and an outer portion surrounding the central portion and concave in cross section whereby it does not appear to be crinkled.

Abstract: A temperature control system incorporating a temperature sensor characterized by thermal inertia which causes the sensed temperature to lag the actual temperature during the transition from one operating temperature for the controlled environment to a different operating temperature. This control system controls temperature as a function of setpoint temperature and the value of a temperature control variable representing the sensed temperature. The value of the temperature control variable is set equal to the temperature sensed by the sensor during steady state operating conditions. In response to a change in setpoint temperature, the system adjusts the value of the temperature control variable to compensate for the thermal lag of the sensor.

Abstract: An arrangement for providing power to a cooking magnetron uses a full wave bridge inverter circuit. Four semiconductor switches, pairs of which are switched on and off by a pulse width modulation control circuit provide power to a primary winding of a power transformer. A secondary winding of the power transformer supplies the power to the magnetron. The control circuit switches two of the four transistors on and off by way of an isolated drive circuit such that the control terminals of the semiconductor switches float with respect to the other two semiconductor switches. The control circuit includes pulse width modulation circuitry which provides a control pulse having a width proportional to an input provided across a transconductance amplifier. A signal dependent upon magnetron current is used as part of a feedback loop such that a magnetron current is stabilized against variations due to line voltage changes.

Abstract: A refrigerator freezer compartment has an evaporator forward of its rear wall for maintaining the freezer compartment at the desired temperature with a cover forward of the evaporator to define the rear of the freezer compartment within which food may be stored. A side ladder is attached to each side wall of the freezer compartment. A horizontal bar extends between the bottoms of the two side ladders to which it is attached and is secured to the bottom of a center ladder. The upper end of the center ladder may be supported within a nipple supported by the top wall of the freezer compartment or secured to a horizontal bar extending between the tops of the two side ladders and secured thereto. Each of the side ladders and the center ladder has a column of rectangular shaped slots to receive portions of an adjustable shelf so that one shelf may be mounted between one of the side ladders and the center ladder and another shelf may be mounted between the other side ladder and the center ladder.

Abstract: The combination of a refrigerator cabinet, a hot refrigerant loop conduit passing through an opening in a peripheral wall of the cabinet and a grommet shielding the conduit from the edge of metal around the opening. The grommet, formed by a pair of molded body elements joined by an integral hinge, includes a pair of passages receiving portions of the conduit. Resilient rings extend into the passages and engage the conduit to preclude escape of foam insulation through the passages. An outwardly diverging mandrel extends from the refrigerated compartment end of each passage. A sealing lip projects outwardly from the grommet body and inclines toward the housing wall. Resilient fingers extend from the grommet body and have distal ends which overlap the distal edge of the sealing lip. The distal ends of the fingers and distal edge of the sealing lip engage opposite sides of the peripheral wall so the lip seals against leakage of foam through the opening.

Abstract: A refrigerator cabinet having an outer metal shell and an inner liner spaced from the shell with foamed-in-place thermal insulation therebetween. The cabinet has an outer metal shell open at the front with two side walls and a top wall each folded to provide a front face with an open fold behind the front face. There is a machinery compartment wall near the bottom of the refrigerator cabinet which is bent upwardly and terminates in a curved front lip having a downwardly facing opening. The inner liner has a peripheral flange which is received in the open fold behind the front face along the side and top walls. At the bottom of the cabinet is a bottom rail assembly which includes a metal cross member with each end secured to the front face at each of the side walls. The metal cross member has a strengthening groove extending between the ends and also has two spaced tabs formed to project downwardly into the groove.

Abstract: A rotary compressor includes a cylinder with a cylindrical compression chamber. A cylindrical piston is eccentrically movable within the chamber. A vane slot extends outwardly in the cylinder from and communicates with the chamber. A vane is reciprocatingly mounted in the vane slot for selective protrusion into and retroaction from the chamber to contact the piston. At least one noise reduction slot projects into the cylinder from its outer peripheral wall near the vane slot and extends completely between the ends of the cylinder.

Abstract: A hermetically sealed compressor unit includes a hermetically sealed casing having a side wall with a cylindrical inner surface; an electric motor is positioned within the casing and includes a stator with a cylindrical outer wall having an interfering fit with the casing side wall inner surface; a rotary compressor unit driven by the motor includes a cylinder spaced from the motor and having a cylindrical outer wall welded to the casing side wall at selected positions; and at least one stiffening ring positioned adjacent the cylinder and having a cylindrical outer wall of a larger diameter than said cylinder outer wall and having an interfering fit with the casing side wall inner surface.

Abstract: An adjustable support assembly particularly for use in supporting the bottom shelf in a household refrigerator including a support bracket having a hollow cylindrical sleeve with an interior circumferential surface having a first longitudinal portion with an array of inwardly directed elongated tooth projections along and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve and a second longitudinal smooth portion adjacent the first portion. There is a brace having an outside diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the sleeve and has a circumferential outer surface with a first longitudinal portion with an array of outwardly directed elongated tooth projections along and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the brace and a second longitudinal smooth portion adjacent the first portion, said projections on the first portion being complementary to the tooth projections on the first portion of the interior surface of the sleeve.

Abstract: An improved driving mechanism for a motor driven retractable down draft vent system of the type having a vent inlet member slidably mounted for vertical movement between a lowered position and a raised position. A first drive member is fixedly connected to a drive motor which drives the first drive member between a first position and a second position corresponding to the lowered and raised positions of the vent member, respectively. A second drive member supported from the movable vent inlet member is disposed in the path of the first drive member. The first drive member abuttingly drivingly engages the second drive member in moving from its first to its second position to positively drive the vent inlet member from its lowered to its raised position. The second drive member is simply driven by the weight of the vent inlet member to follow the first drive member when it returns from its second to its first position to releasably carry the vent inlet member to its lowered position.

Abstract: A household refrigerator having a freezer compartment with a rear wall, top wall, side walls, bottom wall and an open front. An evaporator unit is mounted in a space in front of the rear wall of the freezer compartment and there is a vertical panel separating the evaporator unit from the rest of the freezer compartment to form an evaporator compartment between the panel and rear wall. The bottom wall of the freezer compartment has a plurality of upwardly open grooves extending from the front section of the freezer compartment under the vertical panel and into the evaporator compartment. A cover is hingedly connected to the panel for movement to a raised position above the bottom wall for access to the grooves in the bottom wall for cleaning and to a lowered position horizontal to the bottom wall to provide a flat level shelf area for storage items in the freezer compartment.

Abstract: An improved retractable venting arrangement applicable to cooktops and ranges which have surface heating units supported from a supporting surface such as a countertop. A retractable vent member vertically moves through an opening in the support surface proximate the heating units between a lowered position beneath the support surface and a raised position extending above the surface. A pivotally mounted cover member covers the opening. The cover is opened and closed by the vent member which engages and moves the cover member to its open position as the vent member moves to its raised position. The cover member is held in its open position by the vent member, and returns to its closed position as the vent member returns to its lowered position.

Abstract: A reversible turbine pump includes a pair of end walls and a side wall defining an annular pumping chamber. A turbine impeller mounted for reversible rotation in the chamber includes a rigid input shaft. One end of the shaft extends through one end wall and is sealed from the chamber. A spring biases the other end of the shaft toward the other end wall. Cooperating thrust bearing members, mounted to the other end of the shaft and the other end wall, provide a large planar area of low friction engagement therebetween. The pumping chamber has a pair of inlets, a pair of outlets and a dam. The first inlet and second outlet are on one side of the dam while the second inlet and first outlet are on the other side of the dam so that reverse rotation of the impeller pumps fluid in opposite directions through a different set of inlet and outlet. Valves associated with the inlets and outlets permit fluid flow in the desired direction and prevent fluid flow in the opposite direction.

Abstract: An adjustable agitation system for an automatic washing machine includes a lost motion fluid drive connection between the input drive member and the agitator so that agitator oscillates through a lesser arc than the input drive member. The fluid drive is formed by pockets in the agitator skirt and corresponding paddles on the drive member skirt. The spacing of the drive member and agitator is varied to vary the differential between the drive member oscillation arc length and the agitator oscillation arc length. A connection member engages the input drive member and is selectively engageable with the agitator to connect the input drive member and agitator for conjoint oscillation.

Abstract: An assembly for protecting a decorative surface includes a support structure and a trim piece positioned over the support structure including an outer decorative surface. A protective sheet is removably adhered to the outer decorative surface. Screws extend through corresponding openings in the trim piece and protective sheet for securing the decorative sheet to the support structure. The protective sheet has a closed loop, weakened parting line surrounding and spaced outwardly from each of the screw receiving openings. The head of each screw includes an inner portion engaging the protective sheet and having a diameter substantially the same as the material enclosed in the parting line and a larger diameter outer portion extending radially beyond the inner portion and spaced from the protective sheet.

Abstract: An improved data entry and control arrangement for an appliance which includes an electronic display having a plurality of digits. User actuable up and down keys enable the user to adjust the value displayed. The control changes the display by a first amount, for example, one minute for a time display, in response to each momentary actuation of an up or down key. In response to continuous actuation, the control, after initially changing the display by the first amount, then switches the least significant digit of the display to zero and thereafter periodically changes the display by a second amount evenly divisible by ten, such as for example 10 minutes. The preferred update interval between changes is on the order of 0.45 seconds duration. The control also enables the user to change the update interval.

Abstract: A dishwashing machine includes a door pivotally mounted for selectively exposing the interior of the machine for loading and unloading dishes or other items to be washed. An outer decorative door panel is mounted on the door for pivotal movement with the door and a lower decorative panel is hingedly mounted to the outer panel. Springs resiliently connect the lower panel to the frame of the dishwasher and bias the lower panel toward a vertical position while allowing the lower panel to move as the door, including the outer panel, pivots.

Abstract: An appliance with a glass control panel is provided with a membrane touch control panel assembly which simulates the appearance of a glass capacitive touch panel, and which can tolerate relatively harsh temperature environments such as on the backsplash of a range.

Abstract: An improved cooktop mounting arrangement for a range with an upswept lift-up cooktop including a pair of upper pivot members extending from opposite sides of the upswept section of the cooktop, a pair of spaced lower pivot members extending from opposite sides of the cooktop near the intersection of the upswept section and the cooking surface section, and corresponding upper and lower guides supported from the main range body. The upper and lower guides are cooperatively configured to respectively simultaneously guide the upper pivot members through a vertically oriented arcuate path extending downwardly and forwardly and to guide the lower pivot members through a horizontally oriented path extending generally forwardly and upwardly as the cooktop moves from its lowered position to its raised position.